Currently, pet owners have few options available outside of special commercial grooming facilities or elaborate devices for bathing their pets at home. Small common household pets, such as small dogs, are typically washed in the family bathtub, shower stall, laundry sink, kitchen sink or infrequently in a general purpose style washtub which is usually placed on a patio, driveway or lawn. Such bathing methods, while capable of assisting in the bathing of pets, suffer however from many drawbacks. For example, except for some general purpose wash tubs which are typically used outdoors, almost all of the above known available bathing options share a common problem of exposed drains which are susceptible of being clogged by pet hair that is shed during the bathing procedure.
While the kitchen sink provides an area for bathing small pets, most sinks are not designed or equipped to allow a user to easily bathe a small pet. Besides miniature breeds, many small dogs are simply too large to fit into a common kitchen sink. Moreover, one who is experienced in bathing dogs understands that most become frightened when bathed and frequently try to escape. Therefore, controlling a frightened dog during a bath can require substantial energy and patience. If the dog struggles and escapes, it may injure itself leaping from the kitchen sink to the floor. Furthermore, dogs typically try to shake the water and shampoo from their coats throughout the bathing process which can land on the surrounding counter top adjacent the sink, on the floor which may create a potentially slippery area, on the walls which may have expensive wall coverings, and on the person administering the bath. Besides creating a mess which must be cleaned up, the above typical occurrences may damage costly personal property such as wall coverings or pet hair accumulating in and damaging the disposal.
Most importantly, many people find the idea of bathing a small dog in the kitchen sink offensive and potentially hazardous to ones health because the sink is also used in the preparation of food. Since many dog shampoos include potentially toxic medications for one reason or another, any lingering shampoo or residue in the sink or on the adjacent counter top may be absorbed into food which may be harmful if consumed. Also, because the kitchen sink is one of the primary areas where food is prepared, a person who has bathed their pet in the sink will typically spend more time and energy sanitizing and deodorizing the sink and adjacent area than if the pet were bathed in another area.
A general purpose washtub is not especially adapted to wash a small animal therefore, if used, is inconvenient and time consuming. Moreover, as stated above, the pet must be washed outdoors typically using a garden hose or rinse bucket to rinse the animal. Using a rinse bucket does not normally allow thorough rinsing of the underside of the pet. Since the washtub is usually limited to outdoor use, this option typically prohibits bathing the animal in bad or cold weather. Also, in order to be a somewhat user friendly, the washtub can be placed upon a table or the like. However, if elevated, the washtub will be very difficult to empty once the bathing is completed because most typically do not include drains.
Even though a laundry sink offers a convenient place for bathing small dogs, it suffers from generally the same drawbacks as the kitchen sink. In addition, however, most homes and apartments do not have a laundry sink available, and those that do, most are not equipped with a spray device. Therefore, the person bathing the pet will have to use a rinse bucket to rinse the pet which can be very messy depending on the nature of the pet.
The family bathtub or shower stall both provide an area for washing and rinsing a small animal, however, they too present several disadvantages. One problem associated with using the bathtub or shower stall is that most small dogs will not remain in one place when put into the large area provided by the bathtub or stall. Since the dog must remain standing on the bottom of the tub or stall, the person administering the bath must stoop down on his or her knees and bend uncomfortably over to bathe and control the dog. Such strenuous activity is simply impossible for many people, especially those who suffer from chronic knee or back problems. Moreover, although many home bathtubs or shower stalls are now equipped with removable hand held shower heads that are attached to a flexible hose, the standard length of a flexible hose is typically not long enough to allow the hand held shower head to adequately reach a small dog standing on the bathtub or shower stall floor. In addition, there is not a convenient place to hold or secure the hand held shower head while bathing the pet, therefore it usually cannot, without creating a mess, be left running. Thus, between each rinse, the water typically is turned off, creating a need to readjust the water temperature each time the water is turned back on. Lastly, dog hair will usually accumulate in the tub drain causing potentially expensive plumbing problems.
All of the above described "home" methods for bathing a small pet have some type of undesirable disadvantage. These problems are basically due to the fact that none of the listed "home" bathing areas are designed specifically for small dogs. In an attempt to remedy some of the disadvantages associated with the above described "home" bathing techniques or areas, several pet bathing devices have been designed. While these devices are functional for their intended purpose, they too include many drawbacks not suitable for the average in home user.
One problem associated with known pet bathing devices is that most have multiple part complex constructions which translates into increased cost to the consuming public and increased time necessary to adequately clean the device. A typical pet bathing device includes an elaborate drain screen or filter which is either located over or in an actual drain hole. Besides being difficult to remove, these separate "filtering" devices are difficult to clean after use. Typically, most screens or filters must be removed from the pet bathing apparatus and transported to another location, typically outdoors, to be cleaned and rinsed with a garden hose in order to be thoroughly cleaned. Removing the screen or filter just to clean it in the bathtub or sink would defeat the intended purpose of having the screen or filter in the first place.
Some of the known pet bathing devices also include separate covers, narrow side walls and elaborate neck restraining devices in order to severely limit, if not totally prevent, the animals movement during bathing. Utilizing such features or devices may not only traumatize the animal but also may not be appealing to the consuming public because many dog owners would probably not subject their dogs to such restraint. Moreover, even if such pet bathing devices are specifically designed for commercial use in a professional grooming facility where many dogs are bathed on a regular day-to-day basis, such facilities do not have the same burden or personal responsibility of protecting individual personal property from damage as describe above in the case of home pet bathing.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in "home" bathing techniques and areas and disadvantages associated with known pet bathing devices, a need exists for a light weight low cost simply constructed small animal washing container assembly designed specifically for small dogs that is both user friendly and pet friendly. A further need in the pet bathing industry exists for a small animal washing container assembly specifically designed for in home use of existing bathroom fixtures. An even further need exists in the industry for a small animal washing container that is specifically designed to be easily cleaned and stored in a minimum amount of time and energy.